Material unwinding device



Oct. 7,1941. 'v. w. SIEBS MATERIAL UNWINDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 10, 1941 ATTOAMH Patented Oct. 7, 1941 PATENT I 1 Victor w. Siebs, Summit; N; Juassi nor mw s fern Electric Company, Incorporated, New,Yor li r ,r v N; Y:, a corporation of N ew'York ApplicationJanuaryi 10, 1941,- Serial'No; 373,933; r

6 Claims.

This; invention relates to material unwindin devices: and; more particularly to a device for unwinding strand fromspools.

Ali-object of this invention is theproyi'sion of a generally improved, compact; and practical device for unwinding strand from a spool.

In attaining this object, there is provided in one; embodiment of the. invention an annular supporting, member having depending outer and in erperipheral, flanges, "the annular member resting uponi the'upper head of" a stationaryver- 'tically arranged strand supply spool.. The inner flange. of. the member; extends into the bore of theesppohandjts outer flange; which issemi-cirm 'ar in, cross-section, surrounds the periphery of fihespoolhead; Rotatably andi axially carried on thelsuppontingrmember above its-aupper surface is a flier: device; equipped: with. an. adjustable. frictionzbitakegforyretarding:thefree-rotation thereof. Extending radially. from1 :the;devi'ce at diametri.-. callyxopnor ite :ppintssrar'te upwardly inclined. tubular flier-annszhaving outwardly flared 'ends' f or unwinding the: strand; from. the spool and guiding it-toa; receiving: member arranged thereabore; Theaarmszaresfreely rotatably adjustable about; their; longitudinal axes; to. present new bearing surfaceslfor the strand; as the surfaces become worn. Associated with: each arm a:

tensioned; arcuate' wire'smember extending: longi' tlldinall'yuofi the: arm; WlliibhiSEIVBS to retain the: arm inzi'tssadjustedposit-ion;

- Other: objects'i and; advantages of the: invention: will be understood'by referring to thefoll'owing; specification. and; accompanying; drawing, in:

Eiglis an; elevational. view. of a material 1111- I winding device embodying. the features of" the invention- ,lshown applied to alwire supply spool;

21s a fragmentary: enlarged" View thereof, shown partly. in" section, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan v viewof thedevice' as shown; in; Fig; 2', upon a. reduced scale.

'Referringto; the drawing; particularly Fig. l; wherein: the improved? material unwinding device; indicatediin generakat. I0, is shown applied tolthe unwinding offwir-e froma stationary vertically' disposed. supply-spool H, the wire, indi-' cated"; at [2,, being; with-drawn from the spool through; a; grooved: pulley, i3; fixedly positioned tending into. the. axial: rbore oftthe spool= lzl; At its outer: peripheral edge, the supportingimember isLprovidcd-with a dependingrflange 18 which is semi-circular in, cross-section and: having. a pol.- 5 ishedgfperipheral surface over; whichfthei wire travels; during:- the, unwinding" thereof' from. the spool-., 'Ilheunwindingrdevice l0; rests freely upon the;upper circular head ofj'the spool H, indicated 3 at L9;v the under-surface offthe supporting-mom 10 bar I765 engaging an: outer: upturned peripheral flange Z0 of the spoolzheadi lBfzand the'upper; cir-v cular end surface; 23" of ardrum. wall; 245 surr0und-' ing the spoolrborer, The: annular space between.

member 1-6 isxa; stationary shouldered stud shaft' 26c upon which aciraular'flier support 2151s ro- 2 tatably. carriedbwmeans. of' ballrbearings 30. to reduce frictionv'in'; the; movement of the support; The bearingszfl areram'anged" in a recess in the support surrounding-zthe shaft and: at their uppervandrlowersurfaceslengage annular shoulders- 30 omthef support "andf shaft; respectively. To 'the lowensurfaceof the support Z-Tis secureda plate 31 which-{supports thejzlbearing's. 30? at' their outer' peripheral portion. Mounted upon the upper surface of the fiier'supp'ort. 21 is-an annular fricl as tionpad: 32=,iupon'which non-rotatably rests an annular cap:3'3ihaving aidepending flange 34" extending. slightly below the upper surface of the flier support; and spaced from the periphery thereoft." Surrounding the studsh-aft 26 is a coiled compression spring *31 'having" its opposite ends bearing against the upper surface of the cap'J33iand-ithe lower surface of a knurled adjusting hand nut or collar 38 threaded onto the end ofthe'stud shaft 26.- By turning the collar-'38upwardly or downwardly upon the shaft 26ithe pressure exerted'by the spring 31 may be varied and therebythe frictional contact between-the friction pad 32' and the (11311233 and the Siflier support- 2Tand consequently the free rotation of the latter may be retarded to a desired degree and thereby the tension upon' the material as-it' is withdrawn from thespool' l l 'isvaried. Extending: radially from the flier support 21 at fiidi'ametrically opposite points 'are tubular ,flier arms 39 having outwardly flared outer ends 40,

the extreme ends thereof extending slightly outside the periphery of the annular supporting member Hi. The inner ends of the arms 39 are freely rotatably fitted in upwardly inclined apertures 4| provided in the flier support 21 and thus the arms are tilted upwardly relative to the top surface of the supporting member IS. The angle of the upwardly tilted arms 39 is such that, in cooperation with the axially offset guide sheave l3 arranged above the device, the wire in bearing against and moving past the arm, is at an angle to the longitudinal axis thereof which varies somewhat during each revolution. By mounting the flier arms 39 for free rotation on the flier support 21, they may be readily rotated about their longitudinal axes when they show wear on their periphery after extended use from, the

traveling wire l2 (bearing thereon to present new bearing surfaces for the wire in addition to the spreading of the wearing effect by the offset of the sheave I3, thus adding materially to the period the arms may be used without replacement. Each of the flier arms 39 has hooked into its open flared outer end, one end of a tensioned wire member 44, the opposite end of the wire member having a hook which is entered in a radially directed aperture 45 formed in the periphery of the flier support 21, the apertures being provided in diametrically opposite pairs for a purpose to be presently described. The members 44 extend longitudinally of the flier arms 39 and when in place serve to retain the rotatable flier arms 39 in their adjusted positions about their own axes in the apertures 4| of the flier support 21.

In the use of the unwinding device H] the supply spool I I of wire I2 is placedin correct position upon the floor or other support and the outer end of the wire is drawn over the semi-circular polished peripheral flange 18 of the stationary supporting member l6 and associated with the drawing means of the machine to be served, the wire as it is withdrawn from the spool and engaged with the flange I8 being also engaged with one or the other of the flier arms 39 on its side opposite the arcuate guide member 44, as shown in Figs. land 3. The device, it will'be observed, may be used with either a right hand or left hand spool winding by merely reversing the position of the tensioned guide members 44 from that shown in the drawing wherein they-are arranged for the unwinding of a left hand spool winding. To make the change for a right hand spool winding, referring to Fig.3 the lower member 44 is released from its aperture 45 and swung up-' wardly and hooked into the upper idle aperture 45, the upper member 44 being released from its aperture 45 and swung downwardly and hooked into the lower idle aperture. In the drawing the spool has a left hand winding and consequently the wire l2 as it travels upwardly engages and bears against the right hand flier arm 39. In being withdrawn from the supply spool H the upwardly traveling wire l2 bears against the flier arm 39 and causes it to rotate in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 3) and during such rotation the wire is rapidly unwound from the spool under a suitable tension determined by the setting of the spring 31, in the manner previously described. In case of a sudden release or slackening of this tension on the wire l2 during operation of the device the rotating parts of the device are retarded and thus entanglement of the wire is prevented. The wire passes over pulley l3 which is offset from the spool centerline sufficiently to cause the wire to reciprocate along the tubular member as the member rotates around the spool to prevent excessive wear which would result if the wire were maintained in the same spot.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that a simple, compact and practical device has been provided for unwinding strand from either a left or right hand wound spool. Furthermore, the device, due to the arrangement of its elements, may be readily associated with a spool by merely mounting it upon the upper head of a vertically arranged spool. By providing tubular flier arms which are freely rotatable on their longitudinal axes, the arms may be readily turned as wear occurs to present new bearing surfaces for the strand.

It is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated and described represents one useful form of the invention which is capable of modification and other applications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for unwinding material from a stationary spool, a flier carried on the upper end of a spool for rotation about the Vertical axis thereof, flier .arms of circular cross-section mounted on said flier at an angle to said spool axis engaged by the material and rotatable bodily with the flier to unwind the material from the spool as it is withdrawn therefrom, said flier arms being freely rotatably adjustable on said flier for rotation about their longitudinal axes to present new bearing surfaces for the material as wear occurs.

2. In a device for unwinding material from a stationary spool, a flier carried on the upper end of a spool for rotation about the vertical axis thereof, tubular flier arms having flared outer ends mounted on and extending radially and upwardly inclined from said flier engaged by the material and rotatable bodily with the flier to unwind the material from the spool as it is withmounted on said flier at an angle to said spool axis, engaged at one side by the material and rotatable bodily with the flier to unwind the material from the spool as itis withdrawn therefrom, said flier' arms being freely rotatably adjustable on said flier forrotation about their longitudinal axes to present new bearing surfaces for the material as wear occurs, and tensioned means connected attheir opposite ends to the arms and flier extending longitudinally of said arms upon the opposite sides thereof effective for retaining said arms in their said adjusted positions.

4. In a device for unwinding material from a stationary spool over a head thereof, material guide means to guide the material to move laterally of itself in a circle about the axis of the spool, said guide means including a material engaging arm of circular cross-section rotatably adjustable for rotation about the longitudinal axis to present new bearing surfaces for the material as wear occurs, and stationary means offset from the axis of the spool to receive the material from the guide arm to vary the angle of the direction of the longitudinal motion of the material to the axis during each lateral revolution thereof in the circle and thereby to distribute the wear of the material on the guide arm.

5. In a device for unwinding material from a stationary spool over a head thereoi, control means rotatable about the axis of the spool by the lateral pressure thereon of material being drawn thereover from the spool, said control means including a material engaging arm of circular cross-section rotatably adjustable for rotation about its longitudinal axis to present new bearing surfaces for the material as wear occurs, and a stationarily supported guide member ofiset from the axis of the spool to receive material bein drawn from the spool and over the control arm and to vary the angle of the longitudinal direction of motion of the material to the axis during each lateral revolution of the new bearing surfaces for the material as wear occurs, and a guide sheave stationarily supported to be offset from the axis of the spool to receive the strand drawn from the spool and over the flier arm and to vary the angle of the strand to the axis to distribute the wear of the strand on the flier arm.

VICTOR W. SIEBS. 

